Front Spindle Problem. Am I Missing Something?

[NMyGT500]

I discovered that my front spindles where not installed correctly when I went to add the braided brake lines to the calipers. After disassembling the calipers, rotors and hubs, I concluded they were installed upside down or on the wrong side. In the manual it states, "The spindles are marked DSS (Driver Side Spindle) and PSS (Passenger Side Spindle)." I looked at the back of the spindle. On the drivers side it said DSS and the passenger side it said PSS. Huh??? Well maybe they were on upside down. This is where the fun started. I had to use an 8lb sledge to get them off the ball joint. Nothing like whacking the parts to your dream car with a sledge hammer. After finally getting the drivers side off I flipped it over to discover you can't install it upside down because of the size of the stud on the ball joint.

I am left perplexed. I want to make sure there isn't something simple that I am missing, because what are the chances both spindles are mislabeled. Hopefully someone can help shed some light on my issue before I go pounding on the passenger side with my 8lb sledge. Here is a picture of the driver side spindle which is labeled DSS. Thanks in advance.

166933

[edwardb]

You have them backwards.

"The spindles are marked DSS (Driver Side Spindle) and PSS (Passenger Side Spindle). These refer to the way they are mounted on the FFR Hot Rod. Which is rear steer. The FFR Roadster uses these as Front steer so they are mounted opposite. The DSS spindle is mounted on the Passenger side and the PSS spindle is mounted on the Driver side."

From my Mk4 build manual in the spindle assembly section. It's a few years old but nothing has changed. Should be in yours too.

[Hoooper]

On the wrong side, or its the wrong spindle. Brake caliper mounts toward the back, and the steering arm should be pointed toward the front.

[JohnK]

The labels on the spindles (DSS and PSS) are for the Hot Rod/Truck. They are reversed when installing the spindles on the roadster.

Here's what it should look like:

(Edit: EdwardB and Hooper beat me to it, but here's a photo anyway)

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=105464&d=1554939733

[NMyGT500]

Ahhh...yes. I see. It helps to read ALL the directions. Lesson learned. I'm gonna go grab my sledge hammer.

[rich grsc]

YES, read the manual.

[NMyGT500]

I know... I know. I'm a guy, what can I say. Why read when it has nice pretty pictures? This isn't the first time I have gotten myself in trouble and it probably won't be the last. Some habits never die. Even bad ones. I will always be a work in progress.

[JohnK]

I was guilty at times of glancing through the manual, but relying mostly on other people's build threads and my own experience and intuition. Sometimes it worked out fine, and other times there really was an important tidbit in the manual that nobody mentioned in their build thread. It didn't too many screw-ups, er... learning experiences, for me to develop the habit of reading the manual first, then reading through 3-4 build threads or searching the forum, then (and only then) getting to work. You'll save yourself a lot of aggravation and expense this way.

[NMyGT500]

Thanks for the words of advice. I have managed to correct my mistake without too much collateral damage. Me and the manual are going to become good friends.

[Norm B]

YES, read the manual.

To quote someone from the other forum “ We don't need no stinking manual:ROFLMAO::whistle:”
Not too sure who that was��

Norm

[rich grsc]

Geee Norm, I have no idea. :rolleyes:

[CraigS]

I have always thought that FFR kind of screwed up w/ the spindles being labeled. Yeah, I know that it is explained in the manual, but I think like this. You make a part that you know is going to be used on two different cars, installed on opposite sides depending on which car you have, and then label it so it is correct on only one of the two cars. He11, they would have been better off not labeling them at all. I don't know for sure, but I 'think' that they labeled them for the car that they sell significantly less of. Oh well.